Samsung Gallery: Google sync begins, but not for everyone

Samsung is rolling out Gallery syncing with Google storage. The free quota is shared with Gmail, Drive and Photos.

Samsung is introducing a new sync between its Gallery app and Google storage. It can make photos and videos available across supported Galaxy phones and tablets and show thumbnails when setting up a new device. The global announcement does not confirm a full UK rollout: Samsung names selected One UI 9 devices, a staged expansion, and availability that varies by market and model. Anyone switching the feature on should also understand the shared Google storage quota and what happens when they delete a file.

What Samsung has just announced

On 10 November 2026, Samsung introduced a Gallery sync with Google storage. According to the Samsung Global Newsroom, support starts on selected Galaxy devices running One UI 9 and is set to expand to further models in stages. Samsung does not list a complete set of eligible devices or a fixed date for every market in the announcement, and notes that availability can differ by market and model.

Owners of a supported device can turn on the sync in the Gallery app via the cloud icon, a prompt card, or the Gallery settings, Samsung says. Both the Samsung account and a Google account need to be set up on the device. No extra cloud app or new account is required, according to Samsung’s description. On additional Galaxy devices, the same accounts need to be signed in and syncing switched on there too.

The feature is also meant to ease moving to a new device: after signing in on a new Galaxy device, thumbnails of synced photos and videos can appear without the entire collection being downloaded immediately. Anyone who needs the original file can fetch it specifically, Samsung says. That is useful when internal storage is limited or when a large photo collection should not be fully copied onto every device.

The new feature does not mean that existing images from every Google service automatically show up in the Samsung Gallery. Samsung initially limits visible content to photos and videos backed up through Gallery sync after it is switched on. Files already stored in Google storage beforehand do not automatically appear in the Gallery, according to the announcement.

How much storage is actually free

Samsung cites up to 15 GB of free storage per Google account. That quota is shared with Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. The Gallery does not get its own additional allowance. How much remains for new photos depends on how much space the other services already use.

That can affect whether the sync is usable without upgrading to a paid plan. Anyone with many emails carrying large attachments, files in Drive, or photos already in Google Photos may find considerably less than 15 GB free. Samsung points to paid Google One plans for more storage but names neither a special price nor an extra storage bonus for Gallery users in the announcement.

It is worth checking the Google account’s storage overview before switching the feature on. What matters is not the total size shown, but the portion still free. Anyone considering a paid plan should also check whether a Google One subscription already exists and which account it is tied to. Samsung notes that, where a Google One subscription already exists, its associated account should be the one selected for Gallery sync.

What happened to OneDrive syncing

The new Google feature follows the end of the direct link between Samsung Gallery and Microsoft OneDrive. Samsung had announced the end of that link for 30 September 2026. According to Samsung’s support page, photos and videos stored via OneDrive no longer appear in the Gallery app after that date. They are not lost as a result and remain viewable and downloadable through the OneDrive app or website.

Microsoft also confirms that the direct Gallery sync has ended. Files in the OneDrive account remain separately accessible; what’s affected is the connection to the Samsung Gallery, not the cloud storage itself. For future backups, Samsung recommends options including camera backup in the OneDrive app or Google Photos.

The new Google sync is therefore not an automatic migration of an existing OneDrive collection. Samsung’s announcement gives no indication that old OneDrive photos are transferred into the new Google account. Anyone who wants to keep seeing such pictures in the Gallery on their device may need to download them from OneDrive or set up another sync available for their device. Before switching, it is worth checking where the originals are actually stored.

Why deleting and freeing up space aren’t the same

Particular care is needed when deleting. Samsung explains that deleting a synced photo or video in the Gallery app also removes the entry from the linked Google storage and from other Galaxy devices where the same accounts are set up. An image that should only disappear from internal device storage should therefore not simply be removed via the normal delete function.

For that purpose, Samsung describes a separate feature called “Free up space”. After syncing, it is meant to remove the original files from the device while thumbnails remain visible in the Gallery. The originals then stay in Google storage. Before freeing up space, it should be clear that the files have actually synced and sit in the right Google account. For especially important shots, an extra copy on a computer or separate storage device is a sensible safeguard.

The distinction matters: “Free up space” is meant to remove local originals while keeping the cloud copy. “Delete” removes a synced item from the cloud and from other connected devices too, according to Samsung. Anyone using a collection across several devices should first try the feature on a file they can spare and read the confirmation dialogue carefully.

How to check before switching

Galaxy owners can work through a few points before setting this up:

• Check One UI version and availability: Samsung names selected One UI 9 devices and a staggered rollout. If the option is missing from Gallery settings, that is not evidence of a fault; the device or market may not be enabled yet.
• Pick the right account: Check which Google account the Gallery connects to. With several accounts, the wrong storage could otherwise be used.
• Check free storage: Gmail, Drive and Google Photos share the free quota with the Gallery. Check what’s left before uploading large video libraries.
• Back up OneDrive content separately: Photos previously synced between Samsung Gallery and OneDrive stay in OneDrive. Download important originals there or check the backup in the OneDrive app.
• Check status before tidying up: Only use “Free up space” once syncing has finished. Don’t use the normal delete function as a substitute for removing local copies.

Samsung’s global announcement names no UK-specific device list or UK launch date. Anyone expecting a concrete rollout should therefore check the Gallery settings and the official notes for their own model rather than assume a single, uniform start date.

Sources and status

• Samsung Global Newsroom: Samsung Gallery Makes It Easier to Access Photos and Videos Across Galaxy Devices, published 10 November 2026.
• Samsung support page (in German), last updated 8 July 2026.
• Microsoft Support: Using Samsung Gallery with OneDrive, accessed 11 November 2026.

Research and data as of: 11 November 2026.

Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval.